Resolutions are a funny thing. At the beginning of every year, we decide to formally declare the changes that we want to make in our lives. The new year is a clean slate; a page that hasn’t been written yet. The majority of resolutions tend to revolve around health…be it diet, exercise or both. Others may involve money…either making it or saving it. When we make these resolutions, the expectation is that we will hope to succeed in them, but know we will ultimately fail–thus inhaling donuts, binge-shopping on Amazon and binge-watching Netflix in “yoga” pants.

This year, my resolution is simple: Not to make one. Yes, we get a fresh start with the new year. But here’s the catch: every day is a fresh start. Every morning that you wake up is a new day; a clean slate brimming with hope and possibility for you. Rather than choose the new year, why not choose this day? Is it going to be perfect? No. Some days are waaaaay better than others. The beauty is that those days make the good ones *that* much better. By choosing to start fresh each day, you don’t set yourself up for failure. And maybe when we don’t set ourselves up for failure, we just might see a little more optimism and hope…which we can all definitely use a lot more of.